


Vigil

by aldiara



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Character Death, Double Drabble, Drabble, Drabble Day 2012, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-12-15 03:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/844895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aldiara/pseuds/aldiara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You'd think they'd have come up with something better by now. Something better than hospital green, something better than that sterile smell. Something better than dying.</p><p>Written for the "Dead by Morning" prompt during <a href="http://asylums.insanejournal.com/drabbleday/8483.html">Drabble Day 2012</a></p><p> </p><p>*</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vigil

_You'd think they'd have come up with something better by now_ , thinks Faith as she steps into the room. Something better than hospital green, something better than that sterile smell. Something better than dying.

The woman on the bed grins at her, and fuck, surely she should look older than this; she should not look so young, so very Buffy. "Hey."

Somehow, Faith manages to grin back. "Hey, stranger. Seriously, you got _me_ to do this? Why not Dawn?" _Why not Angel_ , she thinks desperately, _that asshole doesn't die, why isn't he here?_

Buffy just smiles. "I'm glad you came."

***

Faith talks the night away, amusing and effortlessly charming. Buffy can't remember the last time she's had this much fun. She hits the morphine drip three times, afraid the laughter will bring on the pain. Hereditary tumours are the damnedest things. Faith's eyes flicker to her clenching finger, but she ignores it.

The sun comes up when words run out, and Buffy smiles when Faith reaches for the button on life support, without having to be told. "Thank you," she says, and means it.

For just a second, Faith's smile twists into a grimace of despair. Buffy closes her eyes.


End file.
